How to Listen to Jazz

Jazz is the great American art form, its very essence is predicated on freedom and creativity. Its sound unequivocally calls forth narratives of past struggles and future dreams. Yet jazz can be as inscrutable as it is mesmerizing, especially to outsiders who don’t know what to make of improvisation or unexpected shifts in melody or tempo. …

What is jazz? Louis Armstrong purportedly said: “If you have to ask, you’ll never know.” Music scholar and distinguished professor Ted Buehrer conducts a captivating series of lectures designed to help musical enthusiasts become more astute, sophisticated jazz listeners. In these compelling lectures, Professor Buehrer introduces concepts common to nearly all forms of music before focusing on unique aspects of jazz appreciation from early jazz to Swing, Bebop, Fusion, and the contemporary jazz scene.

This exclusive DVD captures one of the highly acclaimed clinics presented by celebrated jazz musicians and educators David Friesen (bass) and Jerry Hahn (guitar) during their 2003 tour sponsored by high-end handmade string manufacturer Thomastik-Infeld. The workshop aims to broaden students' vision of music by explaining: practice techniques, how to listen, what to listen for, strengthening the time feel, participating in a small group format, understanding purpose and commitment, and more.